Wanted: Remake of "The Jayhawkers"
-
Just saw “The Jayhawkers” starring Jeff Chandler and Fess Parker. It was made in 1959, if I recall correctly, and directed by Melvin Frank, who was a decent director. See his credits below.
My Favorite Blonde (with Norman Panama) (1942) (Story Only)
Road to Utopia (with Norman Panama) (1946)
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (with Norman Panama) (1948)
White Christmas (with Norman Panama and Norman Krasna) (1954)
Knock on Wood (with Norman Panama) (1954) (also Co-Director)
The Court Jester (with Norman Panama) (1956) (also Co-Director)
Li’l Abner (with Norman Panama) (1959) (also Director)
The Facts of Life (with Norman Panama) (1960) (also Director)
The Road to Hong Kong (with Norman Panama) (1962)
Strange Bedfellows (with Norman Panama and Michael Pertwee) (1965) (also Director)
Not with My Wife, You Don’t! (with Norman Panama, Peter Barnes and Larry Gelbart) (1966)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (with Michael Pertwee) (1966)
Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (with Denis Norden and Sheldon Keller) (1968) (also Director)
A Touch of Class (with Jack Rose) (1973) (also Director)
Alas, the estimable Mr. Frank made a good looking, but incredibly boring movie out of “The Jayhawkers.” It did not help that he was stuck with Fess Parker for a hero to Jeff Chandler’s villain. The state of Kansas, and KU basketball, and the western film genre, deserves a better film than this.
If anyone knows a producer/director/writer team looking to make a western, please ask them to revisit the history of anti-slavery Jayhawkers, warts and all, and make a really good western that we can associate with the word “Jayhawk.”
-
I’ve never seen it, but I’m going to watch it now because I’m curious.
-
We are jayhawkers …
-
Eastwood as Josey Wales: “Dying ain’t much of a livin’ boy.”
